New Zealand Nights

Today I was interviewed by Bryan Crump on New Zealand Nights, what a nice man! It’s wonderful to suddenly have a connection to the other side of the world!

I didn’t even realise that Helix aspersa had reached New Zealand from Europe where it originated. Among other things, we discussed whether they got to NZ as gourmet food and managed to get out and settle down, as I think happened in the UK, or whether they hitched lifts unnoticed on imported plants and vegetables. Any ideas? If Bryan is right, about hitchhiking snails, why have other pests not spread so readily? Perhaps snails, particularly Helix aspersa are extra good travellers.

It would be great to get cooperation of ideas on these subjects between NZ and UK, and hopefully linking all over the world. If the snails can do it so can we! I don’t know how to get a forum going, help would be great, but some links might do it, please get in touch through the Comments, become a Follower, add your news and ideas please.

There’s a sister site called Gaia with a link on the right, not about snails but much much wider issues, and I think much more important. Do have a look and get in touch please. I did a FreeMind Mind Map of this too, which is good because you can then read it in the order that suits you, like Gaia, the whole thing is interwoven without beginning or end, it’s not a list really. But as yet, I haven’t managed to get that onto the web.

Any handy computer people or web designers that can help? Please?

Any publishers interested? I'm writing a science fiction novel too.
For recipes and more on preparing snails, go to the bottom of the page to Older Posts.

BREEDING

If you want to eat garden snails regularly, then you should breed them.
A vivarium, a wooden box, bucket or washing bowl are suitable for snails to breed in, if outside, should be placed in full shade. Ideally they are kept at 20o C in damp air to breed, so in a greenhouse or coldframe is better. Spray water in the house to keep it damp. Where it’s warmer in Italy and France the whole life cycle is outdoors. They need good moist soil is a flowerpot or box to lay the eggs in.
Rodents and birds must be kept out.

They are hermaphrodites, but two must mate to breed. You can keep just two fine large specimens together in quite a small container. The eggs take three weeks to hatch if they’re kept at 20o C. In good conditions they are mature and ready to eat after 3 months of growing.

To grow they need lime to make their shells, so for keeping snails long term, it is important to provide lime. Crushed oyster shell is suitable, but I think powdered lime is best, available from garden centres, or cheaper is a sack from a builders merchant. It's good for the soil when growing vegetables too.

They can produce 100s of young, so a bigger house is necessary for them to grow up in. I have an old cracked aquarium, but an enclosed space can be made with special snail netting. I could only find it in rolls. I will buy a roll, and sell shorter lengths to any of you who would like some.

In theory ( I haven't personally done this yet) it is possible to produce edible mature snails by autumn or late summer from a pair put together in the spring. I have paired two up, and wait in hope!